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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. firm — decided
  3. chip — to eat
  4. firm — steady
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tube — a container
  8. firm — a company
  9. chip — for betting
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. degree — an amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com